Split key for spider arm



C. H. PORTER SPLIT KEY FOR SPIDER ARM Nov. 25, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 12. 1967 INVENTOR. [Z/Vf AK Panza? Nov. 25, 1 969 H. PORTER 3,480,223

SPLIT KEY FOR SPIDER ARM Filed Sept. 12. 1967' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l F/G.2

United States Patent 3,480,223 SPLIT KEY FOR SPIDER ARM Clive H. Porter, Park Ridge, N .J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to James Talcott, Inc., Americas, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 667,210 Int. Cl. B65h 79/00 US. Cl. 24264 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A key which is split into two parts so that one side of one part of the split key is correctly aligned with the corresponding sides of the keyways in the members to be joined whereas the other part of the split key is tightened in the keyways of one member, overcoming a difference of tolerance of the width of the keyways.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to torque transmitting keys and particularly to keys for fastening the two paper roll supporting arms of three-arm reels of rotary printing machines. The paper roll supporting arms or the three-arm spiders of a roll stand are slidably supported by a shaft by which the arms of the three-arm spiders can be rotated when one paper roll is expiring and a new paper roll is put into the proper position for renewing the paper web. Obviously the two roll supporting spiders must be carefully aligned on the shaft in order to ensure the running of the paper web in a plan which is precisely parallel to the surface of the printing cylinders and of the web supporting rollers. Since the two spiders must be arranged for being displaced laterally on the shaft for accommodating paper rolls of less than full width, the alignment of the spiders on the key in the shaft is a critical operation. The bores at the ends of the three spider arms where the paper rolls will be positioned are machined by placing the spiders on a mandrel. Afterwards the spiders are slidably assembled on the shaft, and there the keyways in the hubs and in the shaft have to be made to vary close tolerances otherwise the two spiders will be misaligned. This invention provides a solution of this problem.

SUMMARY The invention consists in such novel features, construction arrangements, combination of parts and improvements as may be shown and described in connection with the apparatus herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative of a preferred embodiment. The idea of the invention is to simplify the production, to increase the degree of accuracy of the assembly and to lower the costs of the parts involved by splitting the key diagonally lengthwise into two parts, one of which can be tightened in the keyways of the hubs of the spiders. Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereafter and in part will be obvious herefroni or may be learned by practicing the invention the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

It is an object of the invention to provide for a new kind of locking means of a hub on a shaft.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for a split key on a shaft, which eliminates the necessity of holding the dimensions of the corresponding keyways in shaft and hub within close tolerances.

Another object of the invention is to provide for key means by which the two spiders of a three-arm reel can be accurately aligned in all positions relative to one another.

Various further and more specific purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification and illustrates merely by way of example one embodiment of the device of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows in isometric view a typical three-arm reel with the axially extending key on the center shaft;

FIG. 2 shows in a larger scale the plan view of the hub of one of the spiders of the three-arm reel, partly broken away;

FIG. 3 shows the face view of the hub shown in FIG. 2, illustrating the split key;

FIG. 4 shows in isometric view the adjustable upper part of the split key.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now in more detail to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there is in FIG. 1 a typical reel which has two three-arm spiders 20, 21 supported by a central shaft 10. Spiders 20, 21 support by mechanisms at the ends 21' of each one of their arms (mechanism not shown in the drawing) the paper rolls, two of which, 22 and 23, are shown in the drawing.

It is obvious that paper rolls of various lengths, for example of 'M; or /2 of the full length, have to be accommodated for various kinds of production of the rotary printing machines to which these three-arm reels belong for feeding the paper web into the printing units. To this extent, spiders 20, 21 must be laterally displaceable on shaft 10. In order to ensure the proper running of the paper web which in unwound from the active running paper roll 23, the two spiders 20, 21 must be mounted on shaft 10 in very accurate alignment so that the axes of the paper rolls are precisely parallel to the axes of the Web guide rollers and to the printing cylinders. To that extent, a key 13, extending over the entire length of shaft 10, is fitted into a keyway 12. Corresponding keyways 16 are cut into the hubs 11 of spiders 20, 21, so that hubs 11 can be accurately aligned with keyway 12 by means of key 13 on one side thereof. It is difiicult and costly to cut keyways 16 in hubs 11 with the necessary close tolerances, and in order to facilitate this work, an additional key 15 is arranged in keyway 16 of hub 11 for each spider arm. Key 15 has one longitudial side 14 cut at an angle, and corresponding thereto key 13 has a matching cut 14'. Key 15 has the same length as hub 11, and in order to keep it in place therein when spider 20 (or 21) is axially shifted, a groove 18 is cut across the upper face in the center of key 15, and a dog screw 19 is provided for fitting into groove 18. Two screws 17 are arranged in hub 11 for tightening key 15 on key 13 whereby all clearance in keyway 16 is taken up and spider 20 (or 21) is precisely clamped on shaft 10 in the desired aligned position.

The bores at ends 21' of spider arms 21 where the paper rolls are later positioned are machined on a mandrel after hubs 11 have been positioned by split key 13 and thereafter spiders 20 will always be in perfect alignment since only the one predetermined side of keyway 12 is used for alignment purposes.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a certain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention, that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefor in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What I claim is:

1. In a paper web renewing device for a printing machaine, having two spiders, said spiders having hubs, each of said spiders having three paper roll supporting arms, said renewing device having a rotatable center shaft supporting said spiders, said hubs of said spiders and said shaft having keyways: a horizontally split key on said shaft for transmitting torque from said shaft to said spiders, said split key comprising three parts, a first part fitted in said keyway of said shaft for precisely aligning said spiders on said shaft, said first part extending longitudinally of said shaft, a pair of second parts each one being fitted in the keyway of each one of said hubs, said first part and said second parts having slanted mating surfaces and at least one locking screw in each one of said hubs of said spiders for forcing said first and said second parts tightly together, said second parts having a groove across the center of the upper face thereof and a dog screw in each one of said hubs abutting in said groove for holding each one of said second parts in place in said hubs when said hubs are shifted longitudinally of said shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM S. BURDEN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

